King David's excessive mourning for Absalom is sternly rebuked by Joab, prompting David to re-engage with his loyal subjects. David then orchestrates his return to Jerusalem, appealing to Judah's loyalty and pardoning Shimei and addressing Mephibosheth's situation. The chapter concludes with Barzillai's farewell and a growing dispute between the tribes of Israel and Judah over their respective roles in the king's restoration.
Then Joab went into the house and said to the king, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives, and of your concubines.
You love those who hate you and hate those who love you! For you have made it clear today that the commanders and soldiers mean nothing to you. I know today that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead, it would have pleased you!
Now therefore get up! Go out and speak comfort to your servants, for I swear by the LORD that if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you tonight. This will be worse for you than all the adversity that has befallen you from your youth until now!”
So the king got up and sat in the gate, and all the people were told: “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” So they all came before the king. Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled, each man to his home.
And all the people throughout the tribes of Israel were arguing, “The king rescued us from the hand of our enemies and delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled the land because of Absalom.
Then King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace, since the talk of all Israel has reached the king at his quarters?
And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
along with a thousand men of Benjamin, as well as Ziba the steward of the house of Saul and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan before the king
and crossed at the ford to carry over the king’s household and to do what was good in his sight. When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell down before the king
and said, “My lord, do not hold me guilty, and do not remember your servant’s wrongdoing on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king not take it to heart.
And David replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, what have I to do with you, that you should be my adversaries today? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? Am I not indeed aware that today I am king over Israel?”
Then Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he returned safely.
“My lord the king,” he replied, “because I am lame, I said, ‘I will have my donkey saddled so that I may ride on it and go with the king.’ But my servant Ziba deceived me,
For all the house of my grandfather deserves death from my lord the king, yet you have set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right, then, do I have to keep appealing to the king?”
I am now eighty years old. Can I discern what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of singing men and women? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?
Please let your servant return, that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what is good in your sight.”
The king replied, “Chimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good in your sight, and I will do for you whatever you desire of me.”
Soon all the men of Israel came to the king and asked, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, take you away secretly and bring the king and his household across the Jordan, together with all of David’s men?”
And all the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is our relative. Why does this anger you? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense or received anything for ourselves?”
“We have ten shares in the king,” answered the men of Israel, “so we have more claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the men of Judah pressed even harder than the men of Israel.
Study Notes for 2 Samuel 19
Verse 1
Joab, the acting commander, is the first to learn of David’s excessive mourning. This immediate reaction from the king, prioritizing personal grief over national victory, signals a serious crisis of leadership.
Verse 2
The victory was 'turned into mourning' because the soldiers, having risked their lives for the king, felt their loyalty was not valued. This atmosphere threatened the stability of David’s restored reign.
Verse 4
David’s public lament echoes his earlier cry (18:33). While emotionally understandable, this display of grief for the rebel leader undermined the morale and loyalty of the troops who had just saved the kingdom.
Verse 5
Joab takes the highly risky step of confronting the king directly. As a political pragmatist, Joab recognized that David’s behavior was creating a dangerous rift between the king and his loyal military.
Verse 7
Joab delivers an ultimatum: David must immediately affirm his soldiers, or they will desert, leading to a collapse of his government more severe than the recent rebellion.
Verse 8
By sitting 'in the gate,' David publicly resumed his role as king, judge, and accessible leader, demonstrating that he had accepted Joab’s counsel and prioritized the stability of the nation.
Verse 9
The 'strife' or debate among the tribes shows that David’s return was not automatic but required political consensus and a formal invitation, especially since he had fled the land.
Verse 11
David uses the priests (Zadok and Abiathar) as political emissaries to negotiate his return, initiating contact with Judah, his own tribe, to ensure their loyalty first.
Verse 12
The appeal 'Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh' is a powerful tribal and kinship claim, urging Judah to act swiftly and cement their primary relationship with the restored monarch.
Verse 13
David makes a politically dangerous move: replacing Joab (who saved his life) with Amasa, Absalom’s former general. This was intended to appease the defeated rebels and ensure Judah's support, but it guaranteed future conflict with Joab.
Verse 14
David's strategy succeeded; the promise regarding Amasa and the appeal to kinship swayed Judah's elders, consolidating their support for his return.
Verse 16
Shimei, a member of Saul's extended family, had violently cursed David during his flight (2 Sam 16:5-13). His haste in meeting David shows quick recognition that the legitimate monarchy had been reestablished.
Verse 19
Shimei’s appeal for mercy is immediate and absolute, demonstrating that he understood his life was forfeit unless David chose to grant amnesty.
Verse 21
Abishai, one of the zealous 'sons of Zeruiah,' seeks strict justice. This highlights the tension between David’s need for mercy to unite the kingdom and the military’s desire for swift retribution against traitors.
Verse 22
David rejects the counsel of the zealous brothers. He declares that the day of his restoration must be marked by mercy and unification rather than bloodshed, asserting his authority as the sole source of justice.
Verse 24
Mephibosheth’s unkempt appearance—neglecting basic hygiene and mourning rituals—served as physical evidence that he had been grieving David's absence, contradicting Ziba's earlier slander (2 Sam 16:3).
Verse 26
Mephibosheth asserts that his servant Ziba intentionally deceived him, preventing him from joining David because of his lameness. This contradicts Ziba’s earlier story of Mephibosheth seeking the throne.
Verse 27
Mephibosheth offers no further defense, appealing solely to David’s absolute authority and divine wisdom ('angel of God'). He submits completely to the king's judgment.
Verse 29
David’s decision to divide the land is an ambiguous ruling. It may reflect his weariness, unwillingness to investigate the complex allegations, or a judgment that both men bore some responsibility.
Verse 30
Mephibosheth shows his loyalty is to the king himself, not the land. His peaceful return is more important than the property dispute, reinforcing his sincerity.
Verse 31
Barzillai was a crucial benefactor who provided logistical support and provisions for David and his loyalists while they were exiled in Mahanaim (2 Sam 17:27-29).
Verse 33
David offers Barzillai the honor of court life in Jerusalem, intending to repay his kindness with security and luxury.
Verse 35
Barzillai’s refusal is profoundly humble and wise. He recognizes that, due to old age, the pleasures and responsibilities of the court would be wasted on him, and he would become a financial and social burden.
Verse 37
Barzillai requests only to be buried in his hometown and suggests his son, Chimham, be taken into David’s service instead, ensuring his family receives the royal patronage.
Verse 41
The northern tribes ('men of Israel') accuse Judah of 'stealing' the king, highlighting the resurgence of tribal jealousy. They felt Judah had monopolized the honor and political advantage of escorting the king home.
Verse 42
Judah defends its actions based on kinship ('near of kin') and denies any material gain, but their defensive posture failed to placate the northern tribes.
Verse 43
Israel asserts its numerical dominance ('ten parts') and claims a greater political stake in the king. The resulting 'fierce' words set the stage for the next major rebellion (Sheba’s revolt in Chapter 20) and foreshadow the eventual division of the kingdom.
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The Calling of Disciples
19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
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